World in Brief | CHINA

Torture cited in wrongful convictions

About 30 people are wrongfully convicted in China each year after being tortured into making false confessions, but the number may be higher, a government official said.

"Illegal interrogation exists to some extent in local judicial practice," said Wang Zhenchuan, China's deputy chief prosecutor, according to the official New China News Agency. "China records some 30 cases of wrongful verdicts due to illegal interrogation each year, but the real number could be higher."

After several scandals, widely reported in the state-run media, the government issued new rules in March to try to stop police from torturing suspects.